Dear Ginny
by JambaGurlie
Summary: During the final war, Ginny believed she had lost the one she loved most. Pushed to move on, she becomes an advice columnist for The Daily Prophet and recieves a mysterious letter that forces her to examine the past and look for the truth in the lie. DG


**Dear Ginny**

****Disclaimer**** Don't sue me; all characters are associated with the wonderful JK Rowling herself. The plot itself is credited to me, however.

**A Promise is Forever**

Draco Malfoy idly rubbed his thumb over the thick, silver ring that rested around his ring finger. It was simple, with no intricate details. It was strong, of course. It was made of the finest silver one could afford, and Draco Malfoy could afford anything. And it was a promise.

"_It's a promise ring, you see?" Draco said that chilly winter morning as he slid the ring on Ginny's thin finger. _

"_And what's the promise?" Ginny's voice was barely audible as she choked back sobs while looking down at her left hand. _

_Draco smiled a rare smile, and lifted her chin so her chocolate eyes gazed into his steel ones. "The promise is that these rings on our fingers will, one day, be replaced by wedding bands." He responded as he ran a finger down her tear-stained face._

_Ginny threw her arms around him, and whispered, "You promise?"_

_Draco ran his hand over her back soothingly as he smirked and replied, "I'm a Malfoy. Malfoy's never turn back on their word."_

_She giggled and Draco could feel her heart beat against his through their thick school robes. "Draco Malfoy, I can almost feel that smirk that's appearing on your face." Ginny softly scolded._

_Running a hand through her red locks, he pulled back a bit from their hug. Cupping her face softly, he stared into her eyes and said, "I promise," Draco whispered, "Happy Christmas, Gin."_

That was about six months ago, that they spoke that promise. But those days had been free of anger and wrath.

The Dark side had been taking their time in planning for the upcoming war, and although many were anticipating the first attack, many pushed it aside hoping it'd never come. But it did. Now-a-days, it seemed the world was covered in a sheet of darkness. Every attack was worse than the next, more complex, and unexpected. Hogwarts had restricted all Hogsmeade visits, and Quidditch games. Students had become prisoners of their own school, and had soon become accustomed to the dark hallways and little light that they saw. Teachers were always on edge and talked in hush whispers in the corridors.

Draco watched as Professor McGonagal tensed slightly as she walked past him and made her way back to her classroom. He took a look around each corner and checked to make sure no one was watching before he slipped into the empty History of Magic classroom. It was then that he began to seriously doubt what he was about to do.

_It's for her own good, _Draco argued with himself. He began to breathe deeply and twiddled with his ring again, something he did often when he was nervous. The moment he heard Ginny's soft footsteps moments away from the door, Draco regained himself and his face was the same, stony expression that could hide his emotions. Ginny was the only person ever who had been able to break through all his barriers that he had set up around himself.

The door opened and Draco watched as Ginny slipped inside still carrying her school tote. Her face brightened automatically as she strode toward him and wrapped her arms around him after setting her tote on a table. Just the sight of her made his imaginary barriers threaten to give away, but he gritted his teeth and pulled away. "Gin, I need to tell you something."

Her body tensed as she leaned away from him and looked up. "What?"

Draco couldn't stand to be near her, he knew what little courage he had left would disappear the moment he caught another whiff of the scent of her hair. "This isn't going to work. You...me...us. It can't." Draco breathed, "It's impossible."

He watched as Ginny stumbled back as if she had been hit with an unseen force. "What the hell are you talking about, Draco? It's worked for months!" No tears had fallen yet, and Draco knew they wouldn't fall until she couldn't hold them back anymore. He knew that she would hold her pride until the last moment until she realized that she might lose him...and then she'd fight.

"Think about it, Gin! We've been fooling ourselves this whole time; thinking that we could make it past everything that's standing in our way." Draco saw the immediate doubt that crossed her face, and he added, "My Father would kill you...kill us both if he knew what we were doing."

"We can fight him, don't you see?" Ginny started to stutter as she searched for more hope. Draco was about to break, but he couldn't. "Love conquers all...remember?" She whispered.

Draco remembered, but his expression didn't change. "Love _can't _fight the Unforgivable Curses, love _can't _fight Death Eaters, and love _can't _fight the Dark Lord." He breathed for a moment and said, "Love_ can't_ conquer this war, Gin."

Ginny began rambling and her eyes darted around to stop the tears. "You're giving up? No one else is breaking up because of a war, not that I can see!" She spoke.

Draco's patience was running thin. She _needed _to see that it couldn't work. "Nobody else has a Death Eater as a Father!"

Ginny was silent as tears spilled from her eyes. She shook her head as if to erase everything he had said in the last 10 minutes. Draco took her by the shoulder and she jumped back from the touch of his hand as though it had burned her. He grimaced and stood back. "I can't lose you...." She tried one last time.

Draco took her sharply by the shoulder again and shook her. "Look at me, Gin. Do you _want_ a Death Eater as a boyfriend? I have to fight this war. This is my fate. It's too late for me to turn back now; I was born a Death Eater." He spat with disgust. "The moment I graduate, I'm enlisted to serve the Dark Lord."

Ginny's eyes widen with each word he said, and he hated the look that appeared on her face, but it lasted only a moment before it was replaced with a look of hope. "You can go to Dumbledore, he—"

Draco's blood boiled as he slammed his fist on a desk and hissed, "Dammit, Gin! It's over! We're done! We're living on false hope, okay? Just...let it be, alright?"

Ginny wiped the tears from her eyes and regained her composure. Her immediate calmness surprised him, but he didn't let it show. He had already displayed far to many emotions in the last minutes. She straightened herself and narrowed her eyes. "Take it off, then."

He raised an eyebrow of confusion. Ginny put her left hand forward and moved it so that the light from the torch bounced off her silver band. Her voice was barely audible and deathly quiet as she looked him in the eye. "You made me a promise. Malfoys never turn back on their word. Take your ring off and prove to me that you're not going to fight for us."

His head and heart seemed to be raging against each other. As his right hand moved to remove the ring, his heart seemed to scream at him to the point where it hurt. Draco had to twist the band a bit for it to finally slide off, and his ring finger immediately felt oddly weightless without the ring. He set the ring on the desk beside him and never took his eyes off her. Draco watched as her expression turned to defiant to heartbroken.

"Don't come back to me, Weasel."

"Bastard," she hissed with fury.

For a moment Draco thought she was reaching for her wand as Ginny moved towards her tote, but instead she pulled out a small, black velvet box. She tossed it back and forth in her hands for a few moments, before she took him by surprise and threw the box at him with speed. His Seeker reactions kicked in and he caught it before it hit him in the chest.

"Happy Birthday."

Ginny grabbed her tote and pushed the door open. The door stayed open for a bit and he could see bits of her gorgeous hair.

"I never came to you, Malfoy. It was you who came to me."

The door shut noiselessly and he held his breath until he could no longer hear her footsteps outside the door.

Draco looked down at the little box that he held. Running his fingers over the smooth velvet, he lifted open the top and pulled out a silver chain. A small figurine dangled from it, and he squinted his eyes as he held it up to the fire light for a better look.

"Ginny," he breathed. A silver dragon with intricate details shone in the firelight. Delicate scales had been etched into the silver, along with tiny claws that curled from the forearms. The wings were in mid-flight with small spikes protruding from the end of each of them. The single eye that was visible was a ruby set deep within the silver. It had to have cost a fortune for her; the Weasleys were no better off with money than they were the year Ginny began Hogwarts. How had she afforded this...?

_SPLAT! _

_A wet snowball hit Draco square in the chest as he had pulled himself up holding another pile of snow. "Oof!" He exclaimed. He could hear Ginny giggling as he wiped off the excess snow in his eyes. The first thing that he could see was Ginny's brilliant red hair that stood out against the soft snow that surrounded them. _

"_You have good aim, Weasley," Draco commented._

_She smirked, something that she had only recently picked up from Draco, he noticed, and replied, "I'm a chaser, of course."_

_Draco smoothed the snow in his hands into a round snowball, and responded, "Ah, but I'm a seeker."_

_Ginny snorted. "How does that help in a snowball fight? What are you going to do...catch the snowball?" She taunted._

_Ginny had a way of pushing his buttons ever so slightly, and she was the only one who never received a cold and icy response in return. Instead, he heaved the snowball and aimed for Ginny. _

_She ducked. _

_How the hell was he losing to a Weasley? He asked himself, smirking._

_Ginny wiped off snow from her knees from avoiding the snowball, and then glanced at the small wrist watch on her right arm. _

"_We should be heading back towards Hogsmeade," she said casually._

_He lifted an eyebrow. "Why? We have plenty of time." It was true that they were far from Hogsmeade, as it would be disastrous for anyone to discover them._

_Ginny didn't quite meet his eye. "I picked up a job application the last time we went to Hogsmeade, back in November."_

_Surprised, he asked, "Where? Why? Don't you want to enjoy Christmas break?"_

"_I'm to waitress for the Three Broomsticks. It's quite reasonable pay, Draco, and you know that my family could use it," she said, sounding ashamed._

"_What are the hours, Gin?" _

"_It's from noon to three and only on weekends. It's fifteen minutes to twelve right now.."_

"_I don't understand how you're going to get there and back. This is the only Hogsmeade visit during break." Draco responded._

_Ginny bit her lower lip and said, "They have that large fireplace, you know. Madam Rosmerta said I could floo there and back."_

_Draco was confused, once again. "Gin, do you even have any floo powder? What fireplace would you use?"_

"_I was hoping I could use some of yours. I know you have some, Draco, and I would repay you. You have that large fireplace in your common room...." And Ginny's voice trailed off._

"_First of all, you don't need to repay me." Ginny's face brightened. "But, secondly, Granger is often in the common room; it'd be suspicious."_

"_I've thought it out, Draco. I would just tell her the same thing I told you: that I have a job and need access."_

_Draco sighed and agreed. "You had better get going, you best go first and I'll follow after. I'll stay around 3 and wait for you, all right? "_

"_What are you going to do in the meantime?" _

"_I don't know, I'll find something."_

"_You can always find Crabbe and Goyle," she teased._

_Draco's face automatically darkened, and replied, "I'd rather not."_

"_I'm teasing, Draco, I'm sorry."_

_He had smirked in return, and then reminded Ginny that she ought to be on her way. Ginny nodded and started off, but not before looking back and blowing a kiss in his direction. _

_He stood there for several minutes, until Ginny's hair disappeared against the snow and he knew she would be back in Hogsmeade soon. Draco hated hiding all the time; always living in fear. His life had always been living in fear. It was something he was use to, but Ginny took it all by stride. She never worried about being discovered, and he only wished he had the same confidence she did that everything would work out, but he often doubted it no matter how hard he tried._

_Sighing, he followed Ginny's footsteps back, being careful to vanish each footstep imprint. _

_Draco had spent his time harassing the Famous Trio and looking in each shop. It was towards Madam Puddifoot's that he found a small jewelry store that was crammed between two larger and more profitable shops. He took a step inside, noticed it was empty, and see-through cases crammed with jewelry greeted him. An elderly woman came from the back and stood behind a shelf of jewelry. Her eyes were directed toward a small handbook titled "Do It Yourself Loo Repair." She was reading intently, and didn't even look up when she had asked, "Do you need help looking for anything, sir?" _

"_No, thank you." He had responded. _

_Draco reached out to handle a fine piece of silver jewelry with sapphires embedded in it to form a necklace._

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you," The woman, who Draco now realized was named 'Anne Cubberly' from the pin on her blouse, warned. Her eyes were still on the handbook. "It has a charm on it. It will burn anyone who attempts to steal it." _

_Draco's eyes narrowed; he didn't like anyone implying that he was going to steal anything._

_Anne lifted her eyes off the paper and continued with, "Now, are you sure you don't need—" Draco watched as hey eyes widened. He was almost waiting for this to happen. It often did._

"_Mr....Mr. Malfoy?" She had questioned. _

_Draco reached out his right hand. "Draco Malfoy," he said icily._

"_Yes, yes, Lucius' son." She tensely shook his hand and stuttered an apology for accusing him of stealing. "Are you sure you don't need anything?"_

_Rather forcefully, Draco replied, "No, I'd very much rather help myself, thank you."_

_She quieted, retrieved her handbook, and went back towards the storage room._

_Grateful to be alone, Draco continued to look at the jewelry in the cases. A pair of two silver bands stood out at him. _

'_A Promise is Forever' was inscribed beneath them, and continued on explaining how they were promise bands. He looked for the price. A tag of was tied to one of the bands. _

_Without a second thought, he strode to the front and cleared his throat to grab the woman's attention. _

_Anne hurried to the front. "Yes?"_

"_I'd like to buy the two rings towards the back in the case." Draco led her to the case as she moved from behind the shelf and pointed. _

_She raised an eyebrow. "Both of them?"_

_Draco knew she didn't ask because of the price, but because of the fact that the rings were meant for two lovers. _

"_Yes. Did I stutter earlier?" _

"_I apologize." Anne stuttered. Taking out her wand, she muttered a spell and pressed her hand to the glass as a form of verification. The lock clicked, and she pulled it open. Anne reached inside for the two velvet boxes then re-locked the case and strode back to her counter with Draco behind her._

_He emptied the money onto the counter, and she quickly counted the amount. Satisfied, Anne bagged the two rings. _

_Draco walked toward the door then turned around and warned, "Tell anyone I was here, and you'll be seeing me again in an even more unpleasant visit than this one." _

_After leaving, he was satisfied that she would not mention his visit. Draco could have performed a memory spell, but decided against it realizing that if she had noticed the rings were gone she could have notified the Ministry for burglary. He couldn't risk her spilling though, as the tabloids would eat it up and his Father would be brought into the picture. _

_Shaking his head, he walked back towards the main area of Hogsmeade. It was ten till three, and he was tempted to step into the Three Broomsticks. The streets were emptying as students made their way back towards Hogwarts, and Draco took a chance and walked into the pub. His arrival was announced by the ringing of bell from above the door._

_The pub was nearly deserted save for a teenage couple near the back. Draco took a seat near the fire, and waited patiently for Ginny as he pocketed the rings. _

_He could hear her voice from the back, and watched as she walked into the main pub. Draco could see her eyes searching for the customer and her eyes brightened as she saw him. Draco suppressed a smile, being wary of the couple and Madam Rosmerta who was cleaning glasses. _

"_And what can I get for you, sir?"_

"_Two Butterbeers, please." Draco easily answered._

_Ginny lifted an eyebrow but nodded and strode back to get his order. He heard Madam Rosmerta clarify that Ginny could leave after she served her last customer. She returned moments later clutching two bottles of Butterbeer._

_Draco reached into his pocket to retrieve money, then heard Ginny whisper, "It's on the house." _

_The couple had left several minutes ago, Draco noticed. He watched Madam Rosmerta go into the kitchens to clean up as Ginny untied her apron and folded it nicely before setting it on the table beside him. _

"_Let's get out of here," Draco said. Ginny took a quick glance around and they made their way out the door._

_Once outside, he handed Ginny the other Butterbeer. "Thanks," she smiled._

_They didn't bother to keep their distance; Hogsmeade was void of any persons. The stores often locked up early on Sundays._

"_So, how was it?" Draco had asked._

"_A lot of students were surprised to see me working there. I scored a few extra coins from each of them," Ginny replied laughing. "What did you do while I was working?"_

"_Gave the Trio a hard time." Draco easily replied._

_Ginny frowned. _

_After a moment, Draco said, "Oh, come on, you know I was kidding...I didn't give them **that** hard of a time."_

_Ginny grinned and elbowed him in the ribs. A soft snowfall began moments after that, and silence overtook them. _

"_You know, I could walk to and from the pub." She suggested thoughtfully._

"_In this weather? It'd be easier to floo." Draco said. He felt uncomfortable thinking about Ginny walking alone out here. It wasn't a long walk, but woods surrounded the road and it seemed unsafe to him, but of course Draco didn't voice his thoughts._

_A small smile formed on Ginny's lips._

_Draco stopped and paused. "What?"_

"_You're worried about me walking out here alone." Ginny answered with a hint of glee._

_Draco smirked. "And what if I am? Not most couples rejoice over the fact that each of them care about one another." But Draco knew that they weren't like most couples. Not most couples had to keep their relationship secret._

"_Sarcastic prat," Ginny retorted with a laugh._

_Draco wrapped an arm around Ginny's back. Still clutching his Butterbeer, he whispered in her ear, "Oh, but you don't mind me being a sarcastic prat, do you?" _

"_I've gotten use to it," Ginny breathed._

_He smirked. Ginny stood on her tip-toes so that she could reach his lips, and gently kissed him. Cupping her face in his hands, Draco eagerly returned the kiss. Ginny's soft kisses always sent shivers down his spine. _

_Breaking apart, they continued on their walk soon reaching the Hogwarts grounds. In the walls of Hogwarts, they went their separate ways without looking back, both knowing too well that one glance at the other could send wild fires of gossip around the school._

_The next week, Draco was sitting on one of the couches in his and Granger's common room. He was supposed to be reading the book he was holding (which in fact he had randomly grabbed from the bookcase and hadn't even checked the title) but instead he was watching the clock. Granger, as always, was busy working at her desk in the corner. The scrawl of her quill began to annoy him; Ginny was to be walking in any moment. "Merlin, Granger, can't you give the schoolwork a break?"_

_They had learned to somewhat accept each other to a certain degree. It's very hard to avoid someone when you are practically living with them. _

_He heard her huff a bit and the rustle of the rearranging of papers. "I don't see you doing any schoolwork. You know that you have to keep up with homework if you expect to stay up at my level in grades." Granger snapped back. _

_Draco smirked. "I've already finished it." In truth, he hadn't even started, but just the satisfaction he got from Granger's quill scratching against the parchment even faster made him forget his white lie._

_Three knocks were heard against the thick stone wall and Draco knew it was Ginny. It was five minutes till noon. She knocked again._

"_Aren't you going to open the portrait?" Granger asked._

"_No. It's most likely it's one of your little friends." Draco responded smoothly._

_He heard the scraping of her chair being pushed back as she got up. "At least you admit that you have no friends," Granger retorted as she pushed aside the portrait._

_Draco scowled realizing he had been beat in his verbal spar. His anger was forgotten as he saw Ginny step in._

"_Ginny!" Granger exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Can't a friend visit?" Ginny replied. Draco saw her eyes flutter towards him. _

"_Of course!" Granger took Ginny by the hand and led her towards the warm fire. "Ignore the lump on the couch. All he does is take up space and occasionally start verbal spars with me...and occasionally he doesn't win."_

_Ginny suppressed a laugh, and quickly turned it into a cough. Granger's back was facing him, and he could see the laughter behind Ginny's eyes. _

"_Actually, I wanted to know if I could use your fireplace."_

_Granger asked why, and Ginny quickly explained her job situation. _

"_Where did you get the floo powder?" _

"_A friend loaned me some," Ginny replied effortlessly._

"_Sure, you can go ahead and use it. I don't know if anyone will be here when you come back; I've promised to loan Harry and Ron notes. You would've thought that they would learn by now that playing Hangman in DADA isn't going to get them that far," Granger joked._

_Ginny laughed and replied, "You know Ron, 'Mione."_

"_Like hell I do," Granger replied. Draco knew that Weasel and Granger had been seeing each other since the beginning of the year. "Malfoy probably won't be here either; he's often away doing something for awhile." Granger was talking as though he wasn't sitting right behind her, and he wondered if he had been off seeing Ginny during those long periods of time. "Then again, I don't think you want to come back and have **him** be the first thing you see when you walk in."_

"_I **am** in the room, you know, Granger." Draco said._

"_I know that," Granger replied but continued on insulting him. "Well, you better be off. You don't want to be late!"_

_Ginny nodded, and reached into her pocket for a handful of the floo powder that he had given her earlier that day. She threw it into the fire, spoke "Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade" rather clearly, and disappeared. _

_Granger stood there watching the fire after Ginny left. _

_Annoyed, Draco said, "Don't you have anything better to do than watch the fire, Granger?" _

_She turned around and opened her mouth to send off another insult, then closed it and lifted an eyebrow. _

"_What?" Draco asked._

"_That book is upside down." _

_Draco stupidly looked at the text and realized she was right. He scowled and turned it right side up. He stared intently at the text with an odd diagram beside it before looking up. Granger was still staring at him._

"_What in Merlin's name do you want, Granger?"_

"_Oh, nothing, I'm just curious as to why you are reading a book on "The Wonderful Exploration of the Male and Female Anatomy with descriptive Details and Graphics." Granger smirked._

_Horrified, he looked over the binding of the book and was disgusted to see that she was actually right. It was only then that he realized the "odd diagram" was in fact a detailed drawing of the female reproductive system. He slammed the book shut and dropped it as though it had a disease. "Why the **hell** do we have a book like **that** in our bookcases?" Draco asked, still slightly shaken._

_Granger just shrugged and said, "I'm studying to be a Healer, aren't I?" _

_Draco shook his head then smirked, "I suppose it's the only way you'll get a peek at a male's 'reproductive system,' as I'm sure Weasel's isn't much to look at." _

_He had gleefully touched a nerve and Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I suppose all those rumours aren't true then? I mean, why in the world would you be looking at a female's reproductive system when you supposedly get enough action in broom closets?"_

_Draco actually paled. Ginny and he had once met in a broom closet several months ago. It was just a rumour though...just a rumour he assured himself. Sighing and deciding to let the verbal spar end, he said, "That book should just be burned."_

_And to his surprise, Granger had picked the book up and tossed it in the fire. "Studying to be a Healer does have its downsides," Granger said in reply to his questioning look. _

Ginny had worked the whole Christmas break, save for Christmas weekend. She had planned to continue working up until Valentine's Day, but the attack on New Year's Eve changed everything. The Floo Network in Hogwarts had been blocked, and the pathway to Hogsmeade had been magically sealed off. However, Ginny offered to clean hospital tools for pay from Madam Pomfrey. She had quit working two weeks after Valentine's Day.

Draco's heart sank as he realized that Ginny had worked and saved the money for nearly six months. He knew she could have used it for many other needs.

Sighing, Draco reached for the silver band and eyed it. His left ring finger felt so foreign without the familiar weight upon it. Shaking his head, he unclasped the necklace and slipped the ring on it. Lifting it above his head, he clasped it around his neck. Draco tucked the dragon and ring beneath his robes; hidden from the rest of the world.

Feeling lightheaded, he blocked all emotions and put his invisible barriers up as he stepped out from the classroom and headed towards his dormitory.

With only several more days left of school, Draco felt his stomach twist into knots. He knew he'd be called to service only moments after his graduation, and the mere thought made him grimace. The invitations had been sent out to parents already for the ceremony held for the 7th years. Draco reached into his pocket to pull out his own invitation that his fellow peers had received also a week earlier.

_**Hogwarts Academy**_

_Invites You to Celebrate_

_The Graduation of 1997's 7th year Graduates_

_The Great Hall_

_June 7th, 1997_

_7:00 pm_

_Refreshments and treats will be served afterwards_

_Please dress accordingly_

Headmaster Dumbledore's signature was scrawled beneath, along with Professor Snapes as Head of Slytherin.

Re-folding the invitation along the creases, he pocketed it once again. He knew his Father would be there in the audience, but he doubted his mother would show. She often preferred to linger at home, and often muttered to herself. She wasn't mad, only very much subdued. Draco knew his Father's temper kept her in place, and his mother rarely spoke up and when she did she was left with an imprint of his father's hand across her cheek. Since the Quidditch World Cup, she was rarely seen in public and seemed a prisoner of her own mansion.

Draco's footsteps led him to the Head Boy and Girl's portrait that hung outside the common room. The portrait was of a young woman, considerably young, actually; maybe only 14 or 15. She was of royalty, he could tell from the fabric of her dress and jewelry. Her brown hair was curled and swept up, and her right hand rested on a long, black staff with the head of a serpent resting on top of it.

"Password?"

Draco paused for a moment then forced out, "Crookshanks."

It had been Granger's ridiculous idea to name the password Crookshanks. _"In loving memory of him!" _Granger had pouted when he angrily protested. It wasn't his fault the crazy cat had been hit by a car earlier that summer. Why did those Muggle fools even insist on using those ruddy machines when you could fly?

The portrait slid open and immediately he heard Granger's high voice.

"He should be back in a few moments...he didn't mention where he was going." She sounded oddly petrified but her voice didn't shake. Draco could sense fear, though.

"Keep quiet, girl." A harsh voice said, and he heard Granger's voice falter.

His insides froze. Lifting his head as he straightened up, he faced his Father.

Granger's eyes darted back and forth between Draco and his Father, then moved towards the portrait and said, "I think I'll leave you two alone."

A bit of Draco wished she had stayed; he hated being alone in a room with his Father. The outcomes usually weren't good. Then again, Draco decided his Father wouldn't really care who was watching when he would repeatedly slap Draco across the face.

"Ridiculous how they insist that you share dorms with that sad excuse for a witch," His Father stated.

"I agree, Father.... Hello, Father," Draco added quickly.

"At least you remembered how to greet your elders properly." His Fathers icy words said.

Draco knew better than to question his Father, and instead said, "Yes, sir."

"Where were you?"

"I was helping Professor Snape clear out his potions cabinets for the end of the year, sir." Draco replied smoothly. It was not a good idea to lie around his Father, as Draco often had an impression that he could read minds. It was also not smart to drag Snape into it, but what's done is done.

After a moment of silence, Lucius spoke. "I've come to drop off your suit for your graduation." Draco raised an eyebrow. "Your mother had it specially made for you from the finest tailors. It will fit you well."

Draco took notice for the first time of the suit that lay over the side of the couch protected by a sheet of clear wrapping.

"Is Mother coming?" Draco asked carefully.

Lucius eyed him, then said, "That will be her decision if she chooses to come."

Silence surrounded the room.

"That's not the only reason why you've come."

Draco knew his Father would not leave his busy schedule to drop off a suit. His Father often had messengers run large items to him, and rarely was his Father ever seen at Hogwarts.

"You're right, that's not the only reason why I've come." His Father reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. "I could not risk having this intercepted. You know what is expected of you after the ceremony."

Draco reached for the letter and took the heavy parchment in his hands.

"There is another thing." Once again, his Father reached into his pocket but this time pulled out an object. "It is all explained in the letter."

"Yes, Father," Draco replied as he took hold of the object.

Lucius nodded curtly, took hold of his staff that was leaning against the wall, and strode out of the room.

Draco let out a breath of air he hadn't even realized he had been holding. It was one of the rare times his Father had left without striking him. His visits were always short and to the point, and Draco could never wait until they were over.

Slapping the thick letter against his hand, Draco took a quick look at it. A quick look at the wax seal told him it wasn't from his Father, but given to his Father to give to Draco himself. He pulled the seal and opened the letter. It was blank. He realized it was enchanted, and touched his left index finger to it. Instantly, words sprawled out across the page.

_Master Draco Malfoy,_

_You are expected at the blood ceremony immediately after your 7th year graduation. Instructions are enclosed. Follow them carefully. Do not be late._

The letter was not signed, which was not unusual. He pulled the next parchment out and touched his index finger to it.

_You should have received a class ring upon receiving this letter._

Draco unclasped his hand and realized the object his Father had given him was, in fact, a ring

_It is of utmost importance that you wear this during your graduation, and at all times during the ceremony. This is your portkey. The portkey will be activated at exactly 8:30 pm. You are to use the transporter alone, with no one in sight of you. _

_You will receive further instruction once you reach your designated landmark. You have no choice; to turn your back means death. _

Draco folded up the parchment and took hold of the ring. For a moment he wondered which finger he should slight it on, and he made a move to place it on his left ring finger to replace the weight. But after a moment, he slid it on his middle finger.

Moments later, Granger walked through the portrait looking around to be sure Lucius was gone. Her eyes rested on Draco.

Silence surrounded them and Draco ran his fingers along the rough texture of the parchment.

Draco felt as though Granger was about to say something, and he didn't want to hear her rambling. Instead, he turned his back to her to walk up to his room.

"You know," Granger paused as though she was contemplating, "You can always go to Dumbledore."

Draco's fingers curled around the letter and his knuckles turned white as he gritted his teeth.

"Keep your nose where it ought to be, Granger. Any other place and no good will come about it." Draco said calmly. "Curiosity killed the cat. To bad it had to Crookshanks," Draco added sarcastically.

"Satisfaction brought it back," Granger shot.

Draco continued up to his room and once there, he threw the letter on his desk and fell back onto his bed playing with Ginny's chain.

Graduation was tomorrow.

He knew what he had to do...but Draco doubted whether he had the courage to.

**Authors Note**

**Please see my profile for a recent update!**

The unveiling of my new story! I am quite proud of this one, as it has a unique plot that I can't wait to put in action. The story will take a big twist in the third chapter, so I suggest you stay tuned!

Yes, this is Ginny/Draco. I have the plot line finished, but am not sure if I want to include how they got together. I could...

a) Work in flashbacks throughout the whole story, but it would be less detailed and fragmented and it could possibly take longer to release each chapter. The flashbacks, obviously, would be scattered throughout the story and create a quick break in the plot, but the chapter would be longer and the characters wouldn't seem so OOC

b) Create a separate "prequel" that would describe how they got together, but I would write it after I completed _Dear Ginny_

c) Don't bother with how they got together; you're satisfied knowing that they ended up falling in love but you may view the characters slightly OOC

This is will take be a darker tone in the next two chapters or so, but will lighten up. I recommend adding me to author alert, if you can, because I'm never sure of how long it will take to upload a chapter. Or add your email address to your review, if you leave one.

Also, this is an amazingly long chapter. I did not plan on making the flashback of the Hogsmeade visit so detailed, so I hope you enjoy it! I don't expect the next chapters to be quite as long. Maybe around 3,000 or more words (this one is around 5,000). I actually deleted a scene where Draco has a verbal spar with the Trio to shorten it, as I suppose it wasn't really needed though it was humourous.

Please leave a review; as this story is going to take up a lot of my time to complete but I enjoy it because I'm excited about it. **If you leave a review, please choose A, B, or C or add another idea because in the end, I'm going to choose the one that pleases the most readers.**

Sorry for such a long A/N!


End file.
